Arrival on Tiree

Tiree: The Mass Exodus

With TMF over for another year, this morning witnessed the mass exodus. Accomplishing this mammoth task meant the MV Clansman diverting from her normal Monday morning direct sailing from Lochboisdale (South Uist) and Castlebay (Bara) to Oban and calling in at Tiree. Additionally the MV Isle of Mull replaced the MV Lord of the Isles on the normal timetabled service. In addition to the vehicles, between them the vessels carried about 900 passengers.

The morning began with bright sunshine, but by 10.30am banks of low cloud and fog came rolling in,engulfing Gott Bay and reducing visibility to the length of the pier. The weary festival goers formed a vast queue that made its way all down to and into the fog at the end of the pier.

MV Clansman Arrives

MV Clansman departs in fog

MV Isle of Mull In from the Fog

MV Isle of Mull Arriving

There will be room

A Select Few

The End of The Queue

Ramp UP

Until Next Year

The MV Clansman helped reduce the number of waiting vehicles and passengers and the MV Isle of Mull took the remainder. Any hope of capturing the MV Clansman and the MV Isle of Mull together in the bay were dashed as the vessels passed one another in the fog, the Clansman sounding her horn not as welcome but as a warning. When the MV Isle of Mull finally left there were cheers sounding from her open deck and the crew shouting “See you next year!” Once again the Pier Master and all his staff are due a vote of appreciation.